2022 National Mosquito Control Awareness Week – Prepare For Heavy Mosquito Activity This Summer!
It is National Mosquito Control Awareness Week here in the US and driving awareness is more important than ever with early season conditions that have led to a predicted boom in mosquito pressure in the second half of the summer.
Two main environmental factors for forecasting mosquito activity are precipitation and temperature. Rainfall and flooding stimulate the development of the eggs of many mosquito species. At the same time, warmer temperatures speed up the time it takes mosquitoes to become adults. A healthy combination of the two can create ideal conditions for increased mosquito populations.
At Thermacell, our mission is to liberate people who love the outdoors from the harmful effects of insects, and we’re dedicated to keeping you prepared as you set out to enjoy the great outdoors this summer! To close out this important week, we’ve called in one of our Entomologists on staff, Dr. Benjamin McMillan, to share predictions for mosquito activity this summer.
“This summer is expected to be hot and stormy throughout most of the United States. Spring started in lots of areas with high amounts of rainfall, and for much of the southern region of the United States this was on the heels of a mild winter. These two factors jump-started the mosquito season, and it is expected that mosquito populations will build throughout the summer as temperatures continue to rise.” Dr. McMillan predicts, “As summer storm frequency builds, this will also bring water to these areas with high temperatures, creating ideal breeding conditions for mosquitoes throughout the summer. If you don’t have to water your lawn often, but you feel like you are cutting the grass all the time, mosquitoes are going to be thriving as well.”
SRC: https://datastudio.google.com/u/0/reporting/2daac049-abfd-419f-bd3d-2000269c355a/page/p_0t5bougouc
“The second half of summer will likely be hotter than average for much of the central United States. For the Pacific regions, drier conditions will start to develop in conjunction with warmer temperatures. Further north, warmer weather may take longer to really settle in, but the heat of the summer should follow the high rainfall in the region that has been occurring since spring. On the Atlantic side of the country, warm air from the central United States will push into cool air closer to the coast, resulting in increased humidity and rainfall events. These large-scale shifts in regional weather will support larger mosquito populations in areas where rain follows hot weather. Mosquitoes don’t thrive in hot/dry conditions but will come out of hiding when the humidity increases. Watch for mosquito populations to explode once rain brings relief to areas in need of a good soaking!”
SRC: https://digital.weather.gov/
SRC: https://digital.weather.gov/
SRC: https://digital.weather.gov/
As we have seen temperatures increase across the nation over the last month leading to the heat wave going through the Southeast, you may think mosquitoes will be driven away. While mosquitoes typically don’t prefer dry areas with high heat, any rainfall to come this summer will create favorable environmental conditions that find mosquito populations primed for heavy emergence. Through the end of summer, as weather becomes more humid and cools slightly, mosquitoes will become much more commonplace.
Be sure to stock up on Thermacell mosquito repellent refills to protect yourself and your loved ones this season!